News
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Meals on Wheels America Celebrates the Inaugural National Power of the Knock™ Volunteer of the Year
July 24, 2023Meals on Wheels America and Home Instead, an Honor Company, announced today the recipients of the inaugural Power of a Knock™ Volunteer Award. The Power of a Knock Volunteer Award was created to celebrate the inspiring individuals who deliver connection and care to older adults in their communities. Meals on Wheels organizations across the country nominated volunteers with compassionate stories about how these people are impacting the lives of their clients.
Among the recipients, the Power of a Knock Volunteer Award recognized Cathi, a volunteer at Community Cooperative, Inc.’s Meals on Wheels program in Fort Myers, Fla., for her compassion for her client in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Home Instead contributed $25,000 to Community Cooperative in her honor.
“Our volunteers are the true heroes of our organization and community impact. They dedicate their time, talent, and treasure to help ensure that every senior in our community is fed, remembered, and loved. We couldn’t meet our mission without our amazing volunteers, and we are incredibly grateful to them every day.” – Stefanie Ink-Edwards, Chief Executive Officer, Community Cooperative.
The partnership supports Meals on Wheels America’s Power of a Knock campaign, which is all about the transformation that occurs when a Meals on Wheels volunteer knocks on the door of a homebound older adult’s home, changing their life through companionship. A knock at the door might not seem like a big deal to many, but to an aging adult served by Meals on Wheels, it brings hope, health, and the nutrition and connection that will make their day.
CATHI’S STORY:
The first volunteer to pick up Meals on Wheels meals and additional supplies after Hurricane Ian devastated the community in southwest Florida was Cathi, a passionate and dedicated volunteer with over 15 years of service with Community Cooperative. Waiting for her in their handicapped-accessible minivan was her mom, Cora, who took on the role of co-pilot after a stroke left her wheelchair bound three years prior. Through fear, angst, and a deep-seated need to find “her people,” Cathi set out on Route 51, uncertain of what or who she might find, wondering if she would even be able to traverse the decimated roads.
Cathi did not drive her route by memory that morning, she drove it by heart. The first client on her route was the man who had been weighing heavy on her heart long before the storm even hit. Charles had lost his wife exactly one week earlier. Over those past two years, Cathi and Charles had bonded over the struggle of being a caregiver and she knew how to make him laugh. Charles’ home was still standing but his carport had collapsed, awnings were ripped away, and his roof was rolled back like a sardine can. Cathi found Charles in his home, distraught. Amongst the chaos surrounding him, Charles focused on one terrifying reality: he did not know where his wife was. This was the first time Cathi delivered to Charles since his wife’s passing and through tears and a trembling voice, he explained that she had passed, and she was supposed to have been transferred to a funeral home, but he had not found anyone who could help him know where she had been sent. Like thousands of others in the area, Charles was without power and the battery in his phone was quickly depleting. Cathi assured him that she would help locate his wife. Cathi and Cora pressed on to find their other people, and along the way, met the Red Cross Disaster Relief truck. Cathi flagged it down and directed the team to Charles, because she knew he needed immediate physical and mental assistance that she could not provide. When she found a strong enough cell phone signal to call, Cathi reached out to Community Cooperative to ask for help finding Charles’ wife. By the end of the day, a Community Cooperative Social Worker found Charles’ wife, safely delivered to a funeral home 30 miles away. It would take another week before he could see her one last time. Charles dealt with personal grief amid overwhelming destruction.
In the days and weeks that followed these tragedies, Cathi rallied his neighbors and his beloved community to watch over him. The community clubhouse offered breakfast every morning for a few weeks following Hurricane Ian, and Cathi made sure to let the staff know to keep an eye out for Charles. With a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face, Charles would tell his neighbors that she was hassling him to get out of the house. Cathi’s family members work in real estate, and she enlisted them to help Charles with his roof issues. Tens of thousands of Floridians were struggling with insurance companies and Charles needed a little guidance and encouragement to keep fighting for what he was owed. By the time the holidays came around, southwest Florida was back to its “new normal.” Cathi and Cora continued their regular Monday and Friday deliveries to Charles and the rest of their people, marveling in the resilience of the community.
In February, their conversations turned to a new focus when Cathi told Charles that her mom was entering hospice care. Cora was still capable of riding along on their twice-weekly Meals on Wheels routes, which she looked forward to, but her health was beginning to deteriorate. Over the weeks and months that followed, Charles gave Cathi recommendations from his experience. Where once Cathi was the pillar of strength and sounding board for Charles, he now returned the favor. Cathi and Cora drove their last Meals on Wheels route together at the end of April. On Friday, May 19th, Cora passed away peacefully at Cathi’s home, surrounded by her loving family. Even before returning to Meals on Wheels and “her people,” she has stopped by to see Charles and inform him of Cora’s passing. Charles is ready to go through and give away his wife’s possessions and he asked Cathi to help him. Cathi and Charles are connected by a circle of tragedies. Through tears and humor, they hold one another up. When asked about her thoughts on the Power of a Knock, without hesitation Cathi states, “It’s not the door, it’s the person inside.”
“I feel blessed to get to spend time with a generation of people who have an amazing moral compass, perseverance (they call it grit), and have so much knowledge to share. They want to be valued, and I guess deep down inside every volunteer, we want to be valued too. I don’t do this for recognition, and it’s not about one person. Meals on Wheels is vital to our community, with hundreds of volunteers and compassionate staff that make it all work. I’m just one of the lucky ones who get to spend time with our people face-to-face.” – Cathi